Hawaiian Monk Seal Population Monitoring, Pup Captive Maintenance Program, and Incidental Observations of the Green Turtle at Kure Atoll, 1985

摘要

Data on the monk seal, Monachus schauinslandi, were collected at Kure Atoll from 30 January to 23 October 1985. All pups were double-flipper tagged after weaning; the weaned females were maintained in an ocean-beach enclosure until mid-September. The mean count from atoll-wide censuses of monk seals was 24.5, excluding pups of the year, and two tagged turtles, Chelonia mydas, were resighted during the 1985 field season. Two deaths and eight injuries were observed. The injuries usually involved the cookiecutter shark, Isistius brasiliensis. From 12 June to 22 October, 771 samples of fishing debris that could pose a threat of entanglement to wildlife were collected.